Puck Preview | Ferris State Opens Home Schedule With Non-Conference Weekend Twinbill

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team is back home this weekend to open the 2022-23 home schedule with a weekend non-conference twinbill, featuring CCHA foe Michigan Tech Friday (Oct. 7) before welcoming in nationally #18 ranked Western Michigan Saturday (Oct. 8)

SKATE WITH THE DAWGS

Ferris State's Annual Skate with the Dawgs is set for Thursday Night (Oct. 6) inside Ewigleben Ice Arena. The Bulldogs will be on hand to give locker room tours, student section members can pick up their t shirts, and all are welcome skate with the team. The open skate is set for 9 pm ET.

THE REMATCH

Four consecutive contests needed an extra session between Ferris State and eventual NCAA Regional Semi-Finalist Michigan Tech to close last year, all within three weeks. Ferris State took an overtime loss on Friday (Feb. 18) before playing to a 65 minute 5-5 draw on Saturday (Feb. 19). The two met in the CCHA Quarterfinals in Houghton where Michigan Tech one in the first overtime on Friday (March 4), before a double-overtime thriller where the Huskies closed out the series with a 3-2 victory on Saturday (March 5). The Bulldogs are looking to avenge the season ending losses to the Huskies this weekend, where they got two strong goaltending performances in the first round playoff series in Houghton.

AN OLD FOE

The Bulldogs and Broncos are meeting for the 150th time in series history this weekend as Ferris State tries to avenge a 4-3 regular season loss from October. 9, 2021. The Bulldogs led 3-2 late before the Broncos made a last ditch charge to score twice and stun the home crowd. Ferris State's last win against the Broncos did come inside Ewigleben Ice Arena (2017), and this will be the first of at most, three meetings this season. Both of these teams will play in the 57th Annual Great Lakes Invitational on Dec. 27-28, though on the opposite sides of the bracket. Ferris State and Western Michigan rivalry spans some of the great games in school history including the Groundhog's Day Brawl of 2013 where Ferris State roared back for an old CCHA shootout victory.

STEIN NAMED CCHA GOALIE OF THE WEEK

Ferris State junior goaltender Logan Stein was named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's (CCHA) Goalie of the Week for Week One of competiton and his performance on October 1 vs. Miami. Stein led all CCHA goaltenders in single game saves (33), save percentage (.942), and goals against average (1.85), helping Ferris State to a 2-2 tie and eventual non-conference shootout victory. In the shootout, Stein stopped four of five Redhawk shooters, including a walk-off save in the fifth round to cement the shootout win. This is Stein's second career collegiate honor, as he won CCHA Goalie of the Week honors for his performance on November 5, 2021, for his performance against then national #2 and eventual national runner up, Minnesota State, in a 2-1 Bulldog victory. The Bulldogs earned nine CCHA weekly awards last season.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES

Michigan Tech is coming off an NCAA Regional Semi-Final campaign this fall and with a lot of roster holes to fill. The Huskies went 21-13-3 last season and played THIRTEEN overtime games. Gone are All American Brian Halonen (44 points), Trenton Bliss (40 points), Tommy Parrottino (28 points), defenseman Colin Swoyer (23 points), Justin Misiak (19 points), Alec Broetzman (76 career points with 43 goals). Also gone are top notch defensemen Michael Karow, Eric Gotz and Tyrell Buckley, as well as back up netminder Mark Sinclair. So who fills the gaps? It'll start with....SURPRISE another of the endless Pietila's to come through the program! Logan Pietila, who had a resurgent year with 13 goals amongst 23 points, another Logan in Logan Ganie who scored twice in their exhibition with LSSU last weekend potentially skilled freshman Kyle Kukkonen who tallied once in the same game, and the rangy centerman Arvid Caderoth. In goal (GASP!) another Pietila! Picked as the CCHA's top goaltender in the preseason, despite being a bit smaller (5-11), Pietila's stellar career has him on the edge of being the best goalkeeper in school history in the record books. Joe Shawhan's squad can be expected to be stiff defensively and in net, as they were one of the best penalty killing and goaltending teams in the nation last season. Also there are more Pietila's on the roster/volunteer coaching staff. The active Pietila count is four for the Huskies.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS

Much like Michigan Tech, the Broncos have some answers to find in their 2022-23 season. Gone are national goal scoring leader Ethen Frank (26 goals), dish master Drew Worrad (33 assists), monster defenseman Ronnie Attard (13-22-35), and support cast stud Josh Passolt (28 points). Also gone, their entire goaltending room including potential future NHL-er Brandon Bussi (Boston Bruins). This coming from a team that won their first ever NCAA Tournament game a year ago, the Broncos will have to dig deep to find the scoring this year. Last weekend, the formerly #14 Broncos were stunned by Alaska Anchorage who returned to play for the first time since the 2019-20 season and won in their first NCAA Division I game back. Western Michigan went into the third period tied the following night but went off for three third period goals to stifle any hopes of a parade down the streets of Anchorage. Hugh Larkin, Jamie Rome, Dylan Wendt, Carter Berger and Ryan McAllisster all went for multi-point weekends against the Seawolves up in Anchorage. Both goalkeepers had mixed results. Wisconsin transfer Cameron Rowe made just eight stops and allowed three goals in his start, while Miami transfer Kirk Laursen made 10 stops and allowed one tally last weekend. Pat Ferschweiler's Bronco's have a bright future, but there will be growing pains accompanying it as the process gets under way.

DOMINATING THE DOT

Where Ferris State made MASSIVE strides in their game last season was the faceoff dot. Ferris State won 84 of 137 puck drops this weekend for an eye-popping 59.8% mark. Brad Marek went off for a 77.3 percent mark (34 wins, 10 losses), while Stepan Pokorny went for a 60.4 percent win percentage on the weekend (26 wins, 17 losses). Marek was one of the top face off winners in the nation amongst freshman last season, while Pokorny's face off numbers have progressed each year in his career thus far. Connor McGrath also had a strong second half of his game, winning over 60 percent of his faceoffs from the halfway point on in Sunday's contest.